1. Field of the Invention
This invention related to new and useful surgical procedures and more particularly to an endoscopic assisted adbominoplasty which eschews the use of large abdominal incisions and leaves no visible scars on the patient.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Abdominoplasty (sometimes called a dermolipectomy of the abdomen) is a procedure which has been known for more than one hundred years. The procedure has always required a surgical incision in the abdomen followed by surgical removal of part of the skin, plication of the fascia with suturing, and finally suturing of the incision in the skin.
"Reconstructive Plastic Surgery", Second Edition, Volume 7 "The Lower Extremity The Trunk The Genitourinary Tract, Chapter 92 "Dermolipectomy of the Abdominal Wall, Thighs, Buttocks, and Upper Extremity" by Ivo Pitanguy, M.D.; 1977 W.B. Saunders Company is a treatise on dermolipectomy of the abdomen. Several traditional or standard procedures are described and shown.
"ABDOMINOPLASTY" by Frederick M. Grazer, M.D. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 51 No. 6 June 1973 The Williams and Wilkins Company, Baltimore, Md. 21202, pp. 617-623, describes further procedures in abdominoplasty of the abdomen.
References are given in both publications to many additional reports on varied procedures for abdominoplasty or dermolipectomy of the abdomen.
Acknowledgement is made to both authors for the use of some of their material in describing traditional or standard procedures for abdominoplasty or dermolipectomy of the abdomen.
According to "Reconstructive Plastic Surgery", Second Edition, Volume 7, Chapter 92, p. 3800-3807, the first dermolipectomies of the abdominal wall were performed by surgeons who were repairing massive umbilical hernias. The dermolipectomy facilitated the herniorrhaphy and relieved the patient of a pendulous abdomen. A number of procedures are described which illustrate the development of this surgical procedure. The classic lipectomy incisions are shown in FIG. 92-2 on page 3802 of the text. These illustrations of the various incisions are reproduced herein as FIG. 1 of the drawings illustrating the prior art. The author of the text (Ivo Pitanguy, M.D.) reports an improved procedure using a lower abdomen incision to reduce the visibility of the resulting scar. In "ABDOMINOPLASTY" by Frederick M. Grazer, M.D. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 51 No. 6 June 1973, the author reports (at pp. 617-623) a modified Pitanguy technique which confines the final scar to the "bikini" area. For a more detailed description, one should consult the full text of the reference.